Good luck to all the local teams that are competing at the tournaments and state ski meets this week: Mt. Abram girls, Rangeley Laker girls, and the MTA Alpine and Nordic ski teams. We’re proud of you all!

Leon Robie of Kingfield, who attends Gould Academy, recently headed off to China on a school trip. The group will first be staying in Beijing where they will tour Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall. Then the students will spend time with individual families for a week. Leon will be living in Quanzhou with a family whose son is the only one who knows a little English. Leon took some gifts from Maine to his host family including a copy of the Irregular.

We’re hearing that the maple sap is running early this year. Guess the maples are as confused about the weather as we are!

Congratulations go out to Michael Sausachuck, a 1988 graduate of Mt. Abram High School, who was recently hired as the new police chief in Portland. Michael had been working for the Portland Police Department for the past 15 years before being appointed to this new position.

In case you drove by Anni’s Market last weekend and saw flames in the parking lot don’t worry nothing blew up. Yes, a snowmobile did catch on fire, but the group of snowmobilers quickly got a fire extinguisher from inside the store and put the snowmobile fire out and then extinguished the fire next to the pumps. That sounds a little backwards, but they go the job done without anyone getting hurt.

The Valley Seniors are now meeting every Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Carrabassett Valley Public Library. Open to area seniors, the library will be closed to the public during this time. There are a variety of interesting pastimes available including computers, cribbage boards and more. On occasion, special topics will covered by guest speakers. If you need more info, call the library at 237-3535.